The Santa Rita No. 1 is the discovery well for the Big Lake oil field in the Permian Basin, and the first oil well to find oil on land owned by the University of Texas (but not the last).
The oil that unexpectedly flowed from this highly speculative venture has transformed the University of Texas from a struggling state land-grant college to one of the world's premier universities.
I have written about the history of the land, and how it and its revenues came to belong completely to the University of Texas at a nearby waymark, so I won't repeat all that here. See: (
visit link)
At the site of Santa Rita, which was dismantled and moved to the UT campus in 1958, the rest of the oil field equipment remains in place here: the motors, the drive wheels, the derrick, the valves, etc.
There is also a substantial monument of four plaques which names every one and everything that had anything to do with the preparation of the site, drilling the well, discovering the oil, and relocation of the Santa Rita No. 1 to the UT campus, in very florid and ponderous language, as follows:
THE WELL
The oil well Santa Rita No. 1 was drilled on the site to a depth of 3055 feet. It “blew in” on May 28, 1925. It had been name Santa Rita, Saint of the impossible, because of the highly speculative nature of the undertaking.
The events which have followed stretch the imagination. The land belonged then and it belongs now to University of Texas. The permanent fund of University of Texas has been enlarged greatly by the revenue which has resulted from a very simple beginning.
The development of these tremendous resources is without parallel among the educational institutions in America. Cognizance of what took place here compels one to be amazed at the great goodness of Providence, the wisdom of early Texans and setting aside land for the development of the educational system of the state, the courage and/or speculative zeal of the individuals who invested their money in an undertaking which offered little promise, the wisdom of the University’s governing boards and their representatives in managing this vast property, and the skill and resourcefulness developed through modern technology.
[seal of the University of Texas]
"Texon Oil and Land Company – University (Santa Rita) No. 1, NE/4 Section 2, Block 2, University Lands, Reagan County
THE EVENTS
* The Prediction of The Presence of Oil In The Permian Basin: June 21, 1916
* Drilling Permit Filed: March 27, 1919
* Organization of Texon Oil and Land Company: April, 1919
*Lease Validated by Drilling Water Well: January 8, 1921
* Location of the Well Surveyed: January 19, 20, 1921
* Construction of the Derrick And Shacks: July 1-20, 1921
* Drilling for Oil Begun August 17, 1921
* First Showing of Oil Encountered: May 27, 1923
* First Flow of Oil Out of Well: May 28, 1923
* Rig Dismantled for Shipment Austin: January 15, 1940
* Rig Arrived in Austin: February 5, 1940
* Rig Re-Erected in Austin And Dedicated: November 27, 1958
THE PEOPLE
* Predictor of Oil In The Permian Basin: Dr. Johan Udden
* Conceiver of The Idea Of Drilling: Rupert P. Ricker
* The Developers: Frank T. Pickerell; Haymon Krupp
* The Geologist: Dr. Hugh H. Tucker
* Commissioner of the General Land Office: J. T. Robinson
* Water Well Drillers: Walter Brown; W. C. Latham
* Orient Railroad Conductor: John B. Davenport
* The Signer of The Affidavit: R. J. Fitzgerald
* Surveyor for Location of the Well: J. J. Goodfellow Sr.
* Operator of the Ranch Holding the Grazing Lease: Ollie Parker
* The Water Well Deepener: W. P. Holt
* The Rig Builder: R. S. Mcdonald
* The Driller of The Well: Carl G. Cromwell
* The First Tool Dresser: Crawford Stillwagon
* Other “Toolies”: Will Hall; Bud Barefield; Claude Lyle; Jeff Hickox
* Conceiver of Moving Original Rig to the University Campus: Walter P. Webb
* Comptroller of the University of Texas Accepting the Rig: John W. Calhoun
* Donor of the Rig to the University of Texas: Big Lake Oil Company, Charles E Beyer, Gen. Mgr.
* Ranger of Rig Transportation: E. J. Compton
* Dismantlers of the Rig and Derrick: Tom Reed; Earl Brooks; J. E. Kobel; J. C. Williams; Howard Martz; B. L. May."